LinkedIn is known as a place for jobs, professional posts, and networking. But did you know it also offers short daily games? One of the most popular is Queens — a quiet, clever logic puzzle that many people play as a daily brain warm-up. In this blog I’ll explain what Queens is, how to play it, why it’s popular, simple strategies to improve, and where to find more practice. I’ll keep the language easy and the tips practical so anyone can jump in and enjoy. (LinkedIn)
What is Queens?
Queens is a visual logic game on LinkedIn. The board is a colored grid made of squares. Your job is to place one queen (a crown symbol) in every row, every column, and in every colored region — and no two queens can touch each other, not even diagonally. It is like a mix of Sudoku and the classic “n-queens” chess problem, but with colored regions instead of numbers. The puzzles are short and satisfying, and there’s usually one unique solution for each board. (LinkedIn)
Where to play and why it matters
You can find Queens under LinkedIn Games on the LinkedIn site or app. LinkedIn added a small set of daily games to give members a fun break and to increase interaction on the platform. People post their times, discuss clever moves, and even share solving techniques. Because it’s on LinkedIn, the game blends casual fun with the professional community — you can spark short conversations with coworkers or connections by sharing your results. If you want more practice, several fan sites and archives keep older puzzle boards and unlimited versions you can try. (LinkedIn)
Basic rules — step by step
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Each row must have exactly one queen.
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Each column must have exactly one queen.
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Each colored region (a group of connected squares of the same color) must have exactly one queen.
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No two queens can touch — not top-bottom, left-right, or diagonal.
Those four rules are all you need to start solving. Read the board first and look for colors or rows that already limit where a queen can go. That gives you a good starting point. (LinkedIn)
Simple solving strategies (easy to use)
These steps help most beginners and are useful for quick wins.
1. Look for forced squares
If a row, column, or colored block has only one empty square left that could hold a queen, put the queen there. This is the simplest and most common move.
2. Eliminate around a placed queen
When you place a queen, mark off all squares a queen could attack in that row, column, and the eight surrounding squares (diagonals). Those squares cannot hold another queen.
3. Use color-block logic
Sometimes a colored region is small and can only fit a queen in one or two spots. If another row or column removes one of those spots, you’ve forced the placement.
4. Find contradictions
If you try placing a queen somewhere and it causes no possible place for a different row/region, undo it and try the alternative. This is trial-and-error but done logically — it’s faster than blind guessing.
5. Chain the eliminations
Often a single forced placement eliminates options elsewhere and creates another forced placement. Follow the chain — small moves can cascade into the full solution.
Many experienced players also write small notes or use marking to keep track of eliminated squares; this makes larger puzzles less messy. Communities online share more advanced patterns once you get comfortable. (reddit.com)
Why professionals enjoy Queens
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Short and satisfying: One puzzle takes a few minutes. It’s a nice break that still feels productive.
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Builds logical thinking: The rules train pattern recognition and planning — skills useful in many jobs.
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Community sharing: People post clever reasoning paths or fast solve times, which makes it social even on a professional site.
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Coding and analysis: Some players solve Queens with small programs or write solver scripts, which is a fun challenge for engineers and data people. (Polygon)
Practice routes — how to get better
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Play daily on LinkedIn — make it a habit and learn common layouts.
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Use archives and fan sites — they provide older puzzles and unlimited boards for practice. This helps you see more patterns than the daily limit allows.
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Watch short solve videos — many creators record their steps and explain reasoning. Seeing someone else solve a puzzle is one of the fastest ways to learn.
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Try coding a solver — if you like programming, writing a solver for Queens is a fun project that teaches you search and backtracking techniques. Plenty of blog posts and tutorials show how others did it. (archivedqueens.com)
A short solving example (walk-through)
Imagine a 6×6 grid where a purple block covers four squares in the top left, and the top row already has two squares blocked by other queens in the same column. If only one square in that purple block can fit a queen without touching an existing queen, place it. Now mark off its row, column, and diagonals. That often closes off other blocks and makes the next placement obvious. Repeat until the whole board fills. This stepwise elimination is the heart of Queens solving.
Etiquette and sharing on LinkedIn
If you post your solve on LinkedIn, keep it light and friendly. Many users post their solve time or one neat trick they used. Avoid posting full spoilers if someone asks for hints — a hint preserves the fun for others. LinkedIn’s games are meant to be inclusive and brief, so simple comments or a quick screenshot are all you need. (LinkedIn)
Final thoughts
Queens is a neat little puzzle that fits well with LinkedIn’s goal of brief, enriching content. It’s simple to learn, but offers depth if you stick with it. Whether you play to warm up your brain before work, challenge a friend, or practice coding a solver, Queens gives you a small daily win. Try it for a week and you’ll likely notice your speed and insight improve. Happy puzzling! (LinkedIn)
Sources & further reading
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LinkedIn Games / Queens help pages. (LinkedIn)
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Wired article on LinkedIn adding games. (WIRED)
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Polygon and Medium articles on Queens and community interest. (Polygon)
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Fan archives and solver writeups for practice and code examples. (archivedqueens.com)